Vanishing Acts By Jodi Picoult
This week I read the book Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. In it, the main character, Delia Hopkins, faces many challenges before she can live a better life. They also affect her emotionally. She doesn't know what she wants out of life, or how to live it, which causes problems. She wants her life to be normal again, but knowing it won't be crushes her.
One example of this is when she realizes she was kidnapped at age 4 from her mother by her dad. She always thought that her mom had died in a car accident, because she trusted her dad. I think that she had no idea what to do when she found out, so she went numb for a bit. She had never had reason not to trust her dad, and when she found out he had been lying her whole life, it killed her, as it would anyone else. No one wants to learn they've been living a lie.
Another example of this is Eric. Franz, their other best friend, still loves Delia, and she doesn't really realize it. But when she has problems with Eric, her fiance, she immediately goes to Franz. This kills him, knowing he's only second best. And when Delia finds out Eric's been drinking again and goes to Franz, it only creates more problems between them which she has to solve. This is probably very stressful to her, having to choose between her two best friends.
I think that Delia is having problems that anyone would. Her father is in jail, her mother has been alive for her whole life, and she doesn't know which friend she loves more. Everyone has problems they have to deal with, no matter how small. I think the author wants to show that no one has a perfect life or a life without problems. Picoult wants to show that you have to make your own choices, and everything might be ok in the end. Not perfect, but better. Also, she wants to show that you have to be strong and face your problems head on, otherwise they won't go away. This is what Delia does and for her, it works.
Hi jadyn!
ReplyDeletei really like your post. i think that when her father had been lying to her, her whole life and finding it out is probably the hardest thing to face. yes, the father was wrong to lie, but there is also a reason why he lied. i think the father was probably scared to admitt the truth to himself even, so saying she died in a car accident lets the guilt hide out for a little.
i think this is a lesson that everyone can learn from, maybe it will be harder to be honest, but in the long run, it will be easier. also, don't jump to conclusions because there is always a force or reason behind someone's decision.
nice post!
mary
great post! I agree with you when you said that the authour wants people to realize that not everyone has a perfect life. Just by looking at Delia, you would never have realized what she was going through. People might seem perfect; they have friends, good grades, they're pretty,or whatnot, but you never know what might be going on underneath the surface. It's sort of like the saying 'you can't judge a book by its cover
ReplyDeleteHey Jadyn!!
ReplyDeleteThis post has really good ideas in it! I definitely agree with you/the author on saying that no one's life is perfect. Its totally true that everyone has to face problems to get through life, whether they are big or small problems. It must be extremely scary for Delia to find out that her dad stole her in a way. Its always hard to believe that someone you trusted so much could tell such a huge lie to you and try to keep it a secret forever. Wonderful response Jadyn!!
Sorry! Wherever I said Franz, it's supposed to be Fritz.
ReplyDeleteSorry! Wherever I said Franz, it's supposed to be Fritz.
ReplyDelete